


Cards and Presents

by Agent_Talis



Category: The Professionals
Genre: Aftermath of a Case, Friendship, Gen, Humour, One-Shot, gen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 07:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3520565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent_Talis/pseuds/Agent_Talis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bodie's visiting Doyle - and he's got him a little surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cards and Presents

“’ello, ‘ello, ‘ello!” Doyle looked up from the book he was reading and screwed up his face in mock disgust.  
“I thought you hated that phrase?”  
“Yeah, well…” Bodie gifted him with a huge grin, “seems fitting, doesn’t it?”  
Doyle placed his book on the bedside table and struggled to pull himself into a more comfortable position against the pile of white pillows. An expression of concern creased Bodie’s face, but as he leaned in to help, Doyle waved him off. “I’m alright, Bodie.” he said firmly. His slightly grey expression softened into one of incredulous relief, “I’m more than alright, Bodie… I’m bloody marvellous!”  
“More than marvellous! You must be one of the luckiest people on the planet,” Bodie chuckled.

 

Reaching across the bed, Bodie swept up a brightly coloured card from the bedside table and flicked it open. Doyle glanced briefly at the gaudy front page and then directed his gaze out of the window, watching a fat pigeon trying to climb into its nest. Bodie suddenly whistled, his eyebrow rising like a balloon. “I see Lorna’s worried about you,” he cackled, “I hope you haven’t let the nurses see this one –“  
“What?” Doyle made a grab for the offending card, his cheeks flushing crimson. “Give that back!” Bodie held it above his head, grinning at Doyle’s obvious embarrassment.  
“Very pretty,” he leered.  
“That’s my girlfriend, you –“  
“Now Raymond, I hardly think you are in a position to call me anything of the sort –“  
“Give me back that card!”  
“Say please.”  
“No! I won’t say please!” Doyle tried to seize Bodie’s arm, but laughing, Bodie ducked away at the last second.  
Waving the card just out of reach, he said, “Normally, I’d tell you to come and get it, but…”  
“You berk! If I wasn’t stuck on this bed, I swear I’d –“ Doyle gesticulated wildly at his right leg – or what had used to be his right leg and what now appeared to be a vaguely leg-shaped lump of plaster.  
“Threats as well!” Bodie tutted. Carefully, he advanced a little closer to his partner and proffered the card. Doyle raised his eyebrows at Bodie’s grandiose pose.  
“Do you really expect me to fall for that one?” he asked scathingly. Bodie shrugged, his elegant jacket crinkling on his shoulders.  
“It was worth a try,” he said. Sighing deeply, Doyle moved to take the card. Bodie whisked it away, laughter bubbling out of him. Doyle lunged for it, nearly overbalanced and grabbed at Bodie’s coat for support. Caught by surprise, Bodie stepped back. The jacket flapped open and a small, brightly coloured cuboid tumbled out of the inner pocket and fell to the floor with an absurdly loud crash.

  
“Oh no!” In a split second decision, Bodie neatly caught Doyle before he followed suit and half-lifted, half-pushed him back onto the bed. “You alright?” Doyle nodded, trying to catch his breath. A light string of sweat sheened his face. Bodie gripped his shoulder in sympathy until he was able to speak again. “Sorry mate.” Doyle waved his apology off and peered over at the object currently lying dejectedly on the floor.  
“What’s that?” he asked. Bodie shrugged shyly as he scooped it up and turned it in his hands. To his relief it seemed to be in one piece.  
“Just a present. It’s a replacement.” Doyle frowned at him, noting the return of a mischievous twinkle to his partner’s eye. He decided to play along.  
“It’s a bit small.”  
“I am shocked, Raymond. I thought size didn’t matter.” Bodie tilted his head to one side and held his hand over the top of Doyle’s curls thoughtfully, “But… coming from a midget like you…”  
“Oi!”  
“And so refined.”  
“Can I open it then?” Doyle asked. Bodie gave him a strange look.  
“That’s what you’re supposed to do with pressies, isn’t it? What kind of Christmases did the Doyle family have?” Doyle, stumped for a suitable retort, settled for sticking his tongue out at him. “Go on.”  
Weighing it in his hands, Doyle decided that the gift inside the cheap wrapping paper was made of metal or wood. Using his thumbnail, he slit it carefully along the sellotaped edges – enjoying the sharp, sticky crinkle it made in the air. Bodie was watching with the air of an excited six-year old, his face highlighted by the late afternoon sun pouring through the window. Excessively slowly, Doyle peeled the gift-wrap away from the box underneath – and gasped in disbelief.

  
Sitting in his cupped hands was a miniature Ford Escort, perfect in every detail right down to the colouring.

  
Grinning ear to ear, Bodie asked, “Do you like it?”  
“It’s…” Doyle could hardly believe how right the sentence sounded, “it’s perfect. Thank you Bodie.” He picked the plastic off of the toy car and began to run it up and down his bedcovers, remembering how many other cars he’d played with like this. It had been years since he’d seen any of these outside of toyshops. Slightly embarrassedly, he looked up at Bodie. “I really mean it, thanks.”  
“It’s no problem,” Bodie ruffled his hair affectionately. “I know you liked that car.”  
“Yeah, shame that Oliver Wade wasn’t so keen on it – and drove a bloody tank.”  
Bodie laughed again, “Wonder how he afforded that on a copper’s salary?” Doyle shrugged. Cradling the car in his hands, Doyle placed it in pride of place among the Get Well Soon regalia of cards and notes, and then grinned up at Bodie.  
“It’s not a perfect replica,” he began slowly. Bodie’s forehead pulled into his famous frown in confusion and Doyle continued, “But if I ever feel like it should be, I could just stand on it.”  
In mock-seriousness, Bodie cuffed him around the ear, “Don’t you dare!”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a friend who described my (terrible!) drawing of a Ford Capri as more a toy Escort and this scene just wouldn't leave me alone... =-)


End file.
